Canada

This blog highlights our top 10 birds and birding trips in 2022. Some we have written about in detail and others are only included here.

10. Ring-necked Pheasants – Keene Valley NY, October 2022

We took a ride through the High Peaks of the Adirondacks to check out the fall foliage. As we approached the High Peaks Lookout at NY-73 and SR-9 we saw two Ring-necked Pheasants fly over the field. We immediately pulled over and saw at least 10 more so we figured out it was pheasant stocking by NY State. Ultimately at least 50 birds were released which is paid for by the hunters. Still a spectacular sight.

9. Canada Jays – Sabbatis Bog New York, June 2022

Sabbatis Bog Circle Road is a known location for Canada Jays. These were the first juvenile birds we have seen, so it was quite special.

8. Parc Omega – Montebello, Quebec, August 2022

This driving tour in Parc Omega is an excellent way to experience wildlife native to Canada. We saw deer, elk, moose, bison, wolves, bears, foxes, and 15 species of birds. The website tells you to bring four bags of carrots and we wish we had brought more.

7. Yellow Cardinal – Gainesville Florida, March 2022

This is probably the rarest bird we will ever see. There are 15 million Northern Cardinals and 15 of them are yellow. This was a one-in-a-million bird for us. The bird was reported in the Natural Area near the Florida Museum of Natural History on campus.

6. Whooping Cranes – Polk County FL, February 2022

There were reports of a pair of Whooping Cranes in a farm field in Polk County so it seemed like a good idea to go find them. This was one of those great birding days where you drive a couple of hours, turn on a dirt road and the birds are there. The location was on Backbone Road.

5. Hudsonian Godwit – Montezuma NY, October 2022

Reports of a Hudsonian Godwit at the Montezuma NWR gave us a reason to look for this life bird and visit family in the area. Thankfully we found the bird and added another lifer to our list. Seeing a Pectoral Sandpiper was a bonus.

4. Vaux Swift – Gainesville Florida, January 2022

Dauer Hall on the U of F campus is a known location to witness the wintering Vaux’s Swift as they come into roost in the chimney of this building. We arrived a little while before dusk and heard the Vaux’s Swift before we saw one dive into the chimney. It flew way too fast for us to get a picture. This was a life bird for both of us and life bird number 1,000 for Mike.

3. Key West and Dry Tortugas, April 2022

This was our first trip to the Dry Tortugas which added three species to our life list. You can read all about this trip here: http://www.weekendwarbler.com/2022/06/

2. Arkansas and Oklahoma, May 2022

These are two of the remaining five states in the lower 48 that we have not visited. We love how birds are rare in one area and common in another. We never thought we would get tired of counting Red-headed Woodpeckers, Scissortail Flycatchers, or Dickcissels. You can read all about this trip here: http://www.weekendwarbler.com/2022/10/

1. Bat Falcon – Texas, March 2022

This is the first multistate bird we have ever chased. We finally saw the bird on our 5th attempt over 3 days. The last time it was seen was later the same day. You can read about our Bat Falcon chase here: http://www.weekendwarbler.com/2022/04/

2022 proved to be a very good birding year. With both of us retired in 2023, we look forward to taking trips to new places and seeing many more birds. We hope you follow us either here or on Facebook.

2022 Year Birds: 298 Life Birds: 7

Next Up: Utah Winter Birding